Attachable bags

ABSTRACT

A wrap-bag ( 1000, 1100, 100, 101, 601, 708, 742, 877, 1200, 1300 ) includes a bag body ( 1006, 1310, 119, 119′″, 618, 724, 756, 876 ) defining therein a compartment ( 384 ) accessible through an opening ( 379, 616, 722 ) at one end of the bag body, and, secured to the bag body along one edge thereof and extending therefrom to a free distal end ( 1003 ), a flexible strap ( 1009, 1005, 109, 125, 609, 709, 706, 889, 1312 ) of width sufficient to span at least a majority of the compartment ( 384 ). The strap carries an array of fastener elements ( 102 ), each fastener element ( 102 ) having a stem extending integrally from a band of resin film extending across the strap and encapsulating surface features of the strap to form an inseparable laminate. The strap is of sufficient length to wrap about an object, with the strap overlapping the bag body to engage the exposed fibers of the bag with the fastener elements ( 102 ), to secure the wrap-bag to the object. The product is useful for holding components ( 1222 ) to a chassis ( 1220 ) prior to assembly, or for holding charges for detonation.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to bags defining interior compartments andsecurable to other objects.

BACKGROUND

Objects are often packaged in bags, and it is occasionally necessary tosecure such packaged objects to other objects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, a bag includes a bag bodydefining therein a compartment accessible through an opening at one endof the bag body, and, secured to the bag body along one edge thereof andextending therefrom to a free distal end, a flexible strap of widthsufficient to span at least a majority of the compartment. The strapcarries an array of fastener elements on an opposite side, each fastenerelement having a stem extending integrally from a band of resin filmextending across the strap. The strap is of sufficient length to wrapabout an object, with the strap overlapping the bag body to engageexposed fibers of the bag with the fastener elements, to secure the bagto the object.

In some preferred configurations, the band of resin encapsulates surfacefeatures of the strap to form an inseparable laminate. Suchencapsulation may be obtained by integrally forming the band of resinfrom molten resin applied directly to the strap, for example, such thatthe resin, as it solidifies, encapsulates surface features, such asasperities or fibers, of the strap.

In some other arrangements, the band of resin is an integral region ofthe strap, the strap being a unitary sheet of the resin and extendingbeyond the array of fastener elements. One disclosed method of formingthis structure involves calendering heated resin to form both the bandof resin and the remainder of the strap.

In some cases, the strap extends beyond the edge of the bag a distancegreater than about twice a width of the bag measured from the same edgein opposite direction.

In some embodiments, the strap consists essentially of a sheet of loopmaterial with the band of resin extending thereacross.

In some examples, the bag body is secured to the strap along multipleedges of the bag body.

In some cases the strap is an integral extension of one side of the bagbody.

For some applications, the bag body includes a releasable closureextending along the opening. The closure may be a rib-and-grooveclosure, or a touch fastener closure, for example.

In some configurations, the opening faces the strap. In some others, theopening extends along one side edge of the strap.

Preferably, the strap is resiliently stretchable in a longitudinalsense.

In some embodiments, the fastener elements are disposed in a discreteband adjacent the free end of the strap. Preferably, the discrete bandextends across the width of the strap. In some cases, the strap includesa graspable, non-fastening region at its free end, beyond the band offastener elements.

Preferably, the compartment is defined fully within the width of thestrap, such that the strap envelops the compartment when overlappedacross the bag body. This can be very useful for protecting objectscontained within the compartment when wrapped, or for ensuring firmengagement between the bag body and a wrapped object, or for maintainingpressure between the bag body and wrapped object.

The wrap-bag can be useful for many medical applications in which thebag is wrapped around a patient, such as for thermal therapy, asdescribed in a U.S. provisional application by us being filedconcurrently herewith and entitled “Medical Wraps,” the contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference.

The wrap-bag can also be useful for non-medical applications, such as byplacing ice or other cooling substance in the compartment and wrappingthe bag about a drinking container. In other cases, the wrap-bag iswrapped about a cement column for holding, forming and acceleratingsetting of repair materials or wrapped about a post or structural jointfor positioning a shaped explosive charge for demolition. Varioussimilar uses will be apparent.

According to other aspects of the invention, various methods of formingwrap-bags, and for forming composite materials from which wrap-bags canbe made, are provided.

Another aspect of the invention features a method of releasably securingone or more relatively small components to a relatively larger object.The method includes placing the components in the compartment of theabove-described wrap-bag, and wrapping the wrap-bag about the object inoverlapping manner, releasably securing the fastener elements of thewrap-bag to the fibers of the wrap-bag, to hold the wrap-bag to theobject.

In one example, the relatively large object is a chassis, and thecomponents are to be later assembled to the chassis.

In another example, the relatively large object is to be detonated, andthe components comprise one or more explosive charges.

Another aspect of the invention features methods of making bags withintegral straps, such as by the continuous forming methods disclosedherein.

The wrap-bag described herein can provide several advantages in use. Forexample, the substantial width of the strap portion of the bag, ascompared with the bag compartment, can enable the strap to be readilywrapped about the bag body in a way that substantially envelops a majorportion of the contents contained within the bag body. In this manner,the wrap-bag can be easily wrapped so as to create a sustained pressurebetween the bag body and wrapped object, as well as intimate engagementbetween them. This can be effective in several medical uses, as well asin applications such as demolition or repair, when it is critical tohold an explosive charge or repair materials closely to their intendedsubject.

Various constructions of the wrap-bag enable it to be wrapped about anobject in such a way that only two hands are required, and withouthaving to hold the bag in place while adhesive tape is cut and arranged.In some in-field applications, such as emergency medical treatment, thisis seen to be particularly advantageous.

The methods and materials described below enable the wrap-bag to beformed at extremely low cost, enabling its use as a disposable productfor several applications.

Details of embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings andthe description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will beapparent from the description and drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross section view of a sealable bag with an integral strapfor wrapping the bag about an object.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bag of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic, highly magnified cross-sectional view of thewrapping of FIG. 1 showing the flexible wrapping wrapped about anobject, positioning the filled pouch with respect to it.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view,

FIG. 5 is a cross section view, and

FIG. 6 a diagrammatic end view, of a calender-forming-and-unitingmachine producing a continuous composite, flexible web material fromwhich wrap-bags are formed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a flat bag making machine for making thewrap-bags of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a cross section view of a self securing wrap-bag having aclosure.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the wrap-bag of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a flat bag making machine for makingthe wrap-bags of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a wrap-bag.

FIG. 12 is a highly magnified diagrammatic view of one embodiment of ahook fastener portion of a wrap-bag.

FIG. 13 is a further magnified view of one useful form of hook.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are views of a calender-forming and molding machineproducing a continuous composite, flexible web material; and

FIGS. 16 and 17 are views of a machine performing the functions of FIG.14 while producing a single continuous, composite sheet having twopreformed fastener components, shown by

FIG. 18 and a molded fastener component, united in situ as a composite.

FIG. 19 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view (thicknesses grosslyexaggerated) of another machine forming a material similar to thatproduced by the machine of FIGS. 16 and 17, in this case the hook andloop bands residing on opposite sides of the resultant composite.

FIGS. 20 and 21 are diagrammatic plan and end views of a machine forminga continuous, composite flexible material having similarities to thatformed in FIG. 16, but with much wider bands of hooks and loops. FIG. 20is a magnified partial cross-section taken parallel to the axis of theforming roll showing a formation on the mold roll for defining a foldaxis.

FIG. 23 is a cross section view taken on line 23-23 of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a transverse cross-section taken on line 22-22 of FIG. 20.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the sheet-form material resulting fromthe continuous calender roll process illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21.

FIG. 25 is a diagrammatic perspective view with thicknesses exaggeratedof the material of FIG. 24 while it is being partially folded.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a flexible wrap-bag with a formed pouchmade of the material of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is an edge view of the embodiment of FIG. 26, showing a bulgeattributable to a filled pouch.

FIG. 28 is a diagrammatic, highly magnified cross-sectional view of theembodiment of FIG. 26 taken on line 28-28 showing the flexible wrap-bagwrapped about an object, positioning the filled pouch with respect toit.

FIG. 29 is a further magnified diagrammatic view of the end fasteningportion of FIG. 28.

FIG. 30 is a plan view of two composite sheets of preformed startingmaterial with engageable hooks and loops respectively.

FIG. 31 is a plan view of the two sheets of FIG. 30 joined together.

FIG. 32 is an edge view of the joined sheets of FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 is a perspective view of one embodiment having the generalconstruction of FIG. 32.

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of another embodiment having the generalconstruction of FIG. 32.

FIG. 35 is a plan view of a wrap-bag of another construction with anempty pouch.

FIG. 36 is a cross section view of the wrap-bag of FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a plan view of the wrap-bag of FIG. 35 with a filled pouch.

FIG. 38 is a side view of a system for making the wrap-bag of FIG. 35.

FIG. 39 is a cross section view of the continuous web in an intermediatestep in the process performed by the system of FIG. 38.

FIG. 39A is a cross section view of the continuous web in the last stepof the process performed by the system of FIG. 38 before cutting offindividual wrap-bags.

FIG. 40 is a cross section view of another form of the continuous web inthe last step of the process performed by the system of FIG. 38 beforecutting off individual wrap-bags.

FIG. 41 is a plan view of non-woven loop material to be folded to form awrap-bag.

FIG. 42 is a plan view of a wrap-bag constructed from the material ofFIG. 41.

FIG. 43 is a view of the material of FIG. 41 folded to form a wrap-bagwith a pouch.

FIG. 44 is a cross section view of the wrap-bag of FIG. 42.

FIG. 45 is a plan view of a wrap-bag of another construction.

FIG. 46 is a cross section view of the wrap-bag shown in FIG. 45.

FIG. 47 is a plan view of a wrap-bag of another construction.

FIG. 48 is a cross section view of the wrap-bag shown in FIG. 47.

FIG. 49 is a magnification of a sealing assembly at the edge of thepouch flap of the wrap-bag shown in FIG. 47.

FIG. 50 is a plan view of a wrap-bag of another construction.

FIG. 51 is a side view of the wrap-bag shown in FIG. 50.

FIG. 52 is a cross section view of a wrap-bag.

FIG. 52A is a view of a wrap-bag secured to a chassis and carrying partsassociated with the chassis.

FIG. 52B is a view of a wrap-bag secured to a cement column and carryinga shaped explosive charge.

FIGS. 53A-53C are cross-sectional views of the wrap-bag shown inperspective view in FIG. 53D, at different stages of the manufacture ofthe wrap-bag.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a wrap-bag 1000 uses a rib 1002 fastener anda groove 1004 fastener to seal ice in a bag 1006 permanently joined to acomposite material 1007 in the form of a strap 1009 that extends to afree distal end 1003. The composite material 1007 includes a non-wovenhook-engageable loop material 1008 having loops 104 on one side, and adiscrete band 1010 of hooks 102 on the other side, for securing the bagwhen wrapped around another object 1016 in overlapping manner (FIG. 3).In some cases, loops 104 are present across the entire surface ofmaterial 1008. An example of material 1008 is an elastomeric non-porousnon-woven loop material available from Tredegar Film Products ofRichmond, Va. Material 1008 can also be inelastic.

Weld 1012 joins bag 1006 to non-woven loop material 1008. Non-woven loopmaterial 1008 with hook band 1010 is made with weld bead 1014. Hook band1010 is formed in the machine direction from an extruded band of resinlaminated in situ directly to the surface of material 1008, and moldedto form hooks or hook preforms by mold cavities in a molding roll, asdisclosed in Kennedy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,015. Weld bead 1014 isformed at the same time in the machine direction from an extruded bandof resin laminated in situ directly to the surface of material 1008, andmolded into weld bead 1014 by a mold cavity in the molding roll.Wrap-bag 1000 is then made by welding a plastic bag with rib and groovefasteners to composite material 1007 at weld bead 1014. Wrap-bag 1000can also be made with a folded plastic sheet having continuous rib andgroove fastener strips in a continuous process using flat bag makingmachinery.

An apparatus 1018 and continuous process for making composite material1007 is described with reference to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. Referringparticularly to FIG. 6, extruder 1020 provides to the nip 1022 a moltenstrip of resin having a width corresponding to a width of a desired band1010 of molded hooks 102. Completion of the in situ lamination isachieved by the pressure of the calender nip 1022 formed by pressureroll 1024 and mold roll 1026. The molten strip of resin applied byextruder 1020 enters mold cavities in mold roll 1026, forming hook band1010 that includes hooks 102 or hook preforms molded integrally with abase resin layer. A web of loop material 1008 is supplied by roll 1028.The base resin layer is in situ laminated to the loop web by the actionof the calendar nip 1022, thereby encapsulating surface features of theloop web to securely and permanently join the materials. At the sametime, resin of another band of resin applied by extruder 1020 entersmold cavities in mold roll 1026, forming weld bead 1014 that is in situlaminated to the loop web 1008 by the action of the calender nip 1022.After cooling, the finished wrapping material is removed from mold roll1026 and rolled up in supply roll 1030, in which form the finishedcomposite material 1007 is delivered to a wrapping forming machine.

FIG. 7 illustrates a machine 1050 and method for making the wrap-bag1000 described above. Plastic film 1054 is supplied as a roll 1052 withrib 1002 and groove 1004 fasteners welded previously to or integrallyformed with the film 1054 using techniques such as extrusion. Roll 1052of continuous plastic film 1054 is positioned such that a fold inplastic film 1054 is managed at a center fold line 1056. A folding baror board 1058 is provided. Rollers 1060 pinch the fold 1062 just afterthe fold plate or folding board 1058 creates the center fold 1056.Folded sheet 1064 enters into the flat bag sealing machine 1050 on topof non-woven loop material 1008 with hook strip 1010 and weld bead 1014to form the wrapping 1000. Typical flat bag-sealing machines of thistype are available from Ro-An Industries Corp of Middle Village, N.Y.The Ro-An Industries style bag sealing machine 1050 is illustrated wherethe web is intermittently positioned into a tooling station. Roll 1030positions the non-woven loop material 1008 with hook strip 1010 and weldbead 1014 into the bag sealing machine such that fold 1062 is laid ontop of weld bead 1014, and then the weld bead 1014 and fold 1062 arepositioned under weld sealing station 1066. Weld sealing station 1066permanently joins folded plastic sheet 1054 and composite material 1007using weld bead 1014.

Moving towards the left, heated seal bar 1068 simultaneously seals edgesof bag 1006 using radiant heat and cuts the web in the cross machinedirection against anvil roller 1070. In the process illustrated in FIG.7, the web is intermittently advanced, so that at each advance, there isa period within the process where the device 1068 acts on the web. Therepeat length W₁ defines the width W₁ of the strap and is determined bythe stroke of the film advance. Particularly wide sheets 1007 may belongitudinally folded for processing through equipment.

Another example of flat bag-sealing machines is available from GNPackaging Industries of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Using the GN styleof bag sealing machine, wrap-bag 1000 can be manufactured in a similarway to the Ro-An style bag sealing machine except that the cross machineedge of bag 1006 is sealed first by a weld sealing station and then anunheated knife edge cuts the edge against a flat anvil.

In another example of the process illustrated in FIG. 7, the rib 1002and groove 1004 fasteners are engaged together and then positioned inbetween the two folded sides of plastic film 1054 as plastic film 1054is center folded upon entering the machine 1050. This can be done bycontinuously sliding an engaged rib 1002 and groove 1004 fastener stripinto rollers 1060 in between the two folded sides of plastic film 1054.Moving to the left, the engaged rib 1002 and groove 1004 fasteners arewelded to the two folded sides of plastic film 1054 using top and bottomheat sealers. In a related example, the plastic film 1054 can bemanufactured as a tube with one end slit to form a pre-folded plasticfilm. In this example, the two edges of the plastic film 1054 areseparated to enable entry of the engaged rib 1002 and groove 1004fasteners.

In still another example, hook and loop fasteners can replace the rib1002 and groove 1004 fasteners to make another type of wrap-bag. Such awrap-bag can be manufactured by welding on a hook strip and a non-wovenloop strip to opposite edges of plastic film 1054 prior to entering themachine 1050. In this example, bag 1006, closed with hooks and loops, isnot necessarily water tight but for certain applications there is noproblem with some leakage of water from the bag.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another wrap-bag 1100. In this variation, bag1006 is formed using a j-fold such that a lip 1102 extends past groove1004 and the opening of bag 1006. In some applications, it is desirablethat the edge of the bag 1006 not directly connected to the strap beplaced directly against the object about which the bag is wrapped. Aweld 1104 permanently joins composite material 1007 in the form of astrap 1005 to lip 1102.

Similar to wrap-bag 1000, wrap-bag 1100 can also be made with a foldedplastic sheet having continuous rib and groove fastener strips in acontinuous process using flat bag making machinery. FIG. 10 illustratesa machine 1120 and method for making the cold pack wrap-bag 1100described above. Plastic film 1122 is supplied as a roll 1124 with rib1002 and groove 1004 fasteners previously welded to or integrally formedwith the film 1122. Roll 1124 of continuous plastic film 1122 ispositioned such that a fold is managed at a j-fold 1126. A folding baror board 1128 is provided. Rollers 1060 pinch the j-fold 1126 just afterthe fold plate or folding board 1128 creates the j-fold 1126. Foldedsheet 1130 enters into a flat bag sealing machine on top of non-wovenloop material 1008 with hook strip 1010 and weld bead 1014 to form thewrap-bag 1100. Roll 1030 positions the non-woven loop material 1008 withhook strip 1010 and weld bead 1014 into the bag sealing machine suchthat lip 1102 is laid on top of weld bead 1014, and then the weld bead1014 and lip 1102 are positioned under weld sealing station 1066. Weldsealing station 1066 permanently joins folded plastic sheet 1130 andcomposite material 1007 using weld bead 1014.

Moving towards the left, upper heated seal bar 1068 again simultaneouslyseals edges of bag 1006 using radiant heat and cuts the web againstlower anvil roller 1070. In the process illustrated in FIG. 10, the webis intermittently advanced, so that at each advance, there is a periodwithin the process where the device 1068 acts on the web. The repeatlength W₁ defines the width W₁ of the strap and is determined by thestroke of the film advance.

The variations of the process of FIG. 7 described above similarly applyto the process of FIG. 10. Thus, a GN style machine can be substitutedfor the machine illustrated in FIG. 10. Furthermore, the rib 1002 andgroove 1004 fasteners can be welded in-line using machine 1120.Similarly, hook and loop fasteners can be substituted for the rib 1002and groove 1004 fasteners for a non-water tight bag.

In another variation of the wrap-bag 1100 of FIG. 8, the wrap-bag 1100can be made without the rib 1002 and groove 1004 fasteners, such thatbag 1006 has an open end at the lip 1102. In this variation, thecontents of bag 1006 are kept inside bag 1006 by the engagement of hooks102 with the loops of material 1008 when wrap-bag 1100 is wrapped aroundan object.

Another wrap-bag 100 is illustrated in FIG. 11. Similar to theabove-described embodiments, the extended strap portion of the wrap-bagis a flexible, self-securing strap 109 extending to a free distal end1003 and having broad fields of engageable hook and loop fasteners 102and 104, respectively. The field of loop fasteners 104 disposed on onebroad surface is arranged to engage the field of hooks 102 on the otherbroad surface.

Such products are conveniently manufactured by uniting a preformed webof loop material with a running length or lengths of plastic hooks, orhook preforms that are subsequently finished into loop-engageable hooks.Appropriate welds are formed as required for a given application, andthe continuous material is cut at a selected repeat length, either tocomplete the bag-wrap, or to complete a subassembly of it.

Referring to FIG. 12, the hook fasteners 102 may be of molded formavailable from Velcro, USA under designation CFM29, shown magnified inFIG. 13. Its dimensions are H₁ of 0.0378 cm (0.0149 inch) and R₁ of0.00381 cm (0.0015 inch). As a specific example, the loop material mayfor instance be non-woven hook-engageable material, available fromVelcro, USA as loop L3310, formed according to techniques shown in U.S.Pat. No. 6,342,285, the full content of which is hereby incorporated byreference. In other cases of hook and loop construction, other low-costhook forms and loop materials may be employed, for instance hooks formedby post-forming molded stems and loops formed by light weight,inexpensive knit materials, for instance knitted loop material having aweight of less than 4 ounces per square yard, preferably less than 2ounces per square yard.

In the example illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, a flat plastic sheet 22′of width W₁ is produced by calender action upon formable resin extrudedby flat die 26 from moldable resin provided by extruder 28. In this caseno preformed material is introduced to the forming nip 20′. The upperroll 2′ of the calender nip 20′, in a width-wise defined region H, hasmold cavities 23 in its surface that define loop engageable hooks, stemsor other hook preforms, self-engaging formations, or other fastenerfeatures. In the illustrated embodiment, loop-engageable hooks 102 ofform shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 are molded at hook section 30 locateddistance W₄, for example 3.175 cm (1.25 inches), from the edge of thematerial. In this example the hook band 30 is of width W₅, for example3.81 cm (1.5 inches). This process, with fixed mold cavities, canproduce the loop-engageable hooks such of FIGS. 12 and 13 or hookpreforms of a selected desired shape or shapes suitable for post-formingaction, etc. Molding occurs as the calender stack produces the plasticsheet. A completed composite material from which wrap-bags may be formedis completed by joining a preformed band of loop material to anappropriately selected section of the plastic sheet. Heat sealing,adhesive, or other joining processes may be employed, dependent upon thematerial and construction of the loop material and the required qualityof the joint. For instance, if a binder material in the back of apreformed loop material is an acrylic resin, a heat seal weld may beformed to the sheet 22′ along marginal edges, or mid bands of the loopmaterial, by heat sealing action with a compatible plastic of thecarrier sheet 22′. For instance, sheet 22′ may be of polyethylene. Inother cases, loop or other fastener material may be formed in place uponthe resin sheet 22′ after the latter is formed.

In the example of FIGS. 16 and 17, both hook and loop fastenercomponents are joined in situ to a plastic sheet 22″ being produced bycalendering action. Preformed hook-engageable loop material 16 isintroduced into the calender nip while a band 30 of loop engageablehooks is molded in situ to extend integrally from a surface of the resinfilm as described with respect to FIG. 14. As shown by FIG. 16, the webexiting the process has respective continuous machine-direction bands ofhook fastener and loop fastener components at appropriate locations onthe plastic carrier sheet, all components having been united in situ bythe sheet-forming and joining calender process.

The general concept of in situ lamination while molding hooks isexplained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,015 by Kennedy et al., and in situlamination of strips of molded hooks, per se, is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 6,205,623 by Shepard et al., the contents of both of which arehereby incorporated by reference.

In the example of FIG. 16, the bands of hooks or hook preforms and loopsare shown disposed on the same surface of the web 22″. However, byalternatively, or simultaneously having a continuously supplied loopmaterial following the path from takeoff roll C on the opposite side ofthe incoming resin, the band of loop material is introduced to the lowerroll on the bottom side of the plastic sheet so that a band or bands ofhooks or hook preforms and a band or bands of loops are disposed onopposite sides of the formed web. A composite formed with the fullarrangement of FIG. 17 forms the material shown in FIG. 18.

The apparatus and process illustrated in FIG. 19 can alternatively beemployed. In this case the plastic sheet 22′″, and a section with hooks102 extending from the plastic sheet is formed by mold roll 54 having aband of hook cavities, as the plastic from the extruder passes through agap formed between the roll and a complementary-shaped extension 26 b ofthe extrusion die 26′. While the resin is still molten, the loopmaterial is introduced and laminated to the resin at a nip 64 formedbetween the mold roll 54 and pressure application roll 52. At thispoint, hooks 66 are still in their mold cavities, protected from theeffects of laminating pressure.

In these and other roll-forming arrangements, provisions may be includedto impart cross-machine strength to the formed composite web. In somecases this is provided by a cross-machine-strong preformed fastenermaterial or its carrier. In other cases, a reinforcing scrim may beintroduced to the roll-forming station in a manner by which the scrim isembedded in the sheet being formed. Examples are introduction of an openreinforcing scrim on the molding roll side of resin entering the forminggap through which the resin passes in entering the mold cavities, andcoextruding two layers of resin while interposing a running length ofthe scrim between the layers before the layers enter the forming gap.The coextruded resin may be of the same or compatible materials. In onecase a relatively stiff resin is employed to form the hooks and a thinupper part of the base layer, and a compatible resin, for instance acopolymer or blend, having elastomeric properties may form thepredominate thickness of the base layer under the hooks and a calenderedsheet extension as well. In this manner a wrapping material with elasticproperties is formed. In some cases the reinforcing material may beomitted. In other cases the predominate thickness of the base layer mayinstead be selected for its toughness and the reinforcing layer may beomitted.

In a further example, the basic apparatus and process described withrespect to FIGS. 16 and 17 is employed in FIGS. 20 and 21, however usingwider loop material and a wider mold cavity section in the mold roll.Two parallel fastener bands, of loop-engageable hook 102, andhook-engageable loop 104, respectively, are formed on the same side ofan in situ molded, machine-wide, plastic carrier sheet 111. Resin isintroduced into the nip of the calender stack over the full roll width,and longitudinal, inter-engageable rib and groove rails 1002, 1004 aresimultaneously molded in the back face of the resin sheet incorresponding molding grooves (not shown) defined in the pressure roll1. The preformed loop material 16 from supply roll B is of appropriatewidth and position to leave, at the adjacent edge, a weld flange 114free of loop material. The width H₂ of the mold section of roll 2 whichcarries mold cavities 23 is also sized slightly less than half of thewidth of plastic sheet 111. This produces a wide band of hooks 102 orhook preforms that is bordered at the outside edge by weld flange 112 ofcalender-produced plastic sheet.

Referring also to FIGS. 23, 24 and 25, a narrow center region 100between the bands of hook and loop is also devoid of hooks and of loopmaterial. A central machine-direction fold axis A is defined by suitableformation of the surface of roll 2 to facilitate folding the laminatecrosswise to the machine direction. For example, a small,circumferential central raised formation F (FIG. 23) on the surface ofroll 2 forms in the plastic sheet a machine direction region or notch Nof decreased thickness t_(d), about which the plastic sheet willpreferentially fold in creating a continuous composite material forforming wrap-bags. In some preferred cases, weld bands of plain resinlie along each side of the fold line axis A, to enable welding of thetwo plastic layers together in this region after folding. Followingmolding and in situ laminating, the wrapping material is cooled, removedform the mold roll, passed over tension roll 120 and rolled up intosupply roll 130.

Thus, a wide roll-formed sheet 111 having hook and loop bands 102 and104 of substantially half-width extent of the sheet 111, integral outerweld flanges 112, 114 of width W₆ of about 1.27 cm (0.5 inch), and insome cases an integral rib-and-groove closure, can be produced forforming wrap-bags and other products. The material is produced bypressure action by a roll, preferably the calender action described.This material is suitable for forming one or more carrier pockets orpouches 119 (FIG. 26) and the flexible strap 125 of a wrap-bag.

As suggested in FIGS. 25, 26 and 28, as this material is folded aboutmiddle machine direction fold axis A, the weld flange sections meet toform one edge of the composite material, with the rib and grooveformations aligned for engagement. Other weld lines define the ends ofthe discrete length of composite material and the location of a pouch tobe formed, to create a flattened tube covered with loop-engageable hooks102 and hook-engageable loops 104 on the oppositely directed sides. InFIG. 25, lines W transverse to axis A define regions where transversewelds may be formed. FIG. 26 illustrates the welded wrapping unit.Welding flange sections 112′, 114′ of FIG. 25 form weld 115 and flangesections 112″, 114″ form weld 113, each parallel to axis A. Transverseend weld portions 122, 123 and internal pouch-defining weld 124 completethe unit.

Preferably, a weld flange along one or more pouches being formed is leftfree to provide a top pouch opening or openings for access by the user,as shown in FIG. 26, exposing the mated rib and groove formations thatthen serve as a recloseable closure for the pouch. The continuous webthat has been folded in half about axis A is advantageously transverselywelded with double width at 121 in an in-line process, at a selectedrepeat length to define the length of the flexible wrapping unit. Afterthis, the running length of material is cut at the repeat length, toform weld regions 122 and 123.

As another option, plain weld flange sections 112 and 114, illustratedin FIG. 24, may be omitted and the fields of hooks and loops allowed toextend to the edge of the composite material. In this case, welds 113and 115 are formed by application of heat and pressure through the hookand loops to cause the corresponding portions of the plastic backing toweld together.

As mentioned, transverse welds at the ends, 122 and 123 (typicallysections of a double wide single weld 121 which is cut to sever theleading unit during production) define the repeat length for thecontinuous production process. As desired, a selected number ofintermediate transverse welds 124 are applied through the thickness ofthe hook and loop sections of the composite to form one or more pouchesof limited dimension along the material, or to provide optional cutlines at which the user may choose to shorten the material by cutting.In the example of FIG. 26, one intermediate weld 124 defines with endweld 123, pouch 119.

By making the film of the in situ laminate of resin capable of strongcontinuous heat seals, such as polyethylene, the flanges can beheat-sealed to each other to provide water tightness and strength alongthe edges as well as along the pouch walls. This ensures containment ofthe chemical reactants. An advantageous resin for such embodiments iscommercially available linear, low-density polyethylene such as LL-6407Exxon Mobile resin.

The composite material may be configured to include closing flaps (notshown) adjacent the pouch opening, to be folded over to releasably coverthe opening of the pouch.

Referring to FIGS. 28 and 29, wrap-bag 101 securely holds the contentsof the pouch 119 close to an object 128. The flexible extension of thebag (i.e., the portion of the wrap extending from the pouch 119),fastens to itself by touching the loop material 104 to the hook surface102, as illustrated in FIG. 29. Because of the weld 122 provided at thefree end of the wrap shown in FIG. 26, a small dead region D of fastenermaterial is provided that is incapable of fastening engagement (see alsoFIG. 27). This provides an easy peel, free standing tip to grasp toinitiate unwrapping. Thus, while the entire length of excess wrappingtightly engages itself without an undesirable loose tail, the extremetip D remains free to be grasped.

Selection of a suitable preformed non-woven material depends upon cost,quality and number of uses objectives, e.g. whether it is to be a singleuse device or whether a number of repeated uses are desired. Foreconomy, a non-woven product formed by needling staple fibers followedby stretching and binding as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,342,285 is useful.This material is available from Velcro, USA as loop L3310. To enable alarge number of repeated openings and closing, the loop material may bea knit fabric with acrylic binder at its back such as Loop 3905available from Velcro, USA. For intermediate cost applications,extremely light weight knitted materials may be employed.

For low cost synthetic resin for the hooks, good weldability, goodsealing qualities, etc., polyethylene is advantageous, while for certainperformance characteristics, other resins are selected, e.g. PVC forcomfort, conformability, or RF welding; polypropylene for strength andcost; and polyester for high strength applications where a degree ofstiffness of the bag wrap extension is useful.

In another embodiment having extensive loop coverage and breathability,the plastic sheet side of the laminate in the loop area is not entirelycovered with resin sheet. Instead, parallel, spaced apart bands of resinare provided between which are bands of porous loop material, free ofresin. The free regions can provide porosity that enables air ormoisture to pass through the strap of the wrap-bag. Two major plasticbands, for instance, may be provided on the porous material in such anembodiment, at the top and bottom long edges of the strap, to enablemajor welds to be strategically placed for holding a folded assemblytogether. Between those weld regions, only two or three narrow beads orbands of resin may be employed, e.g. bands 0.3175 cm (⅛ inch wide), thatleave most of the area free to breathe. Such beads or bands of resinenable formation of spot welds sufficient to define a pouch capable ofretaining an inserted pack or device. During formation of the wrap-bag,these beads or bands of resin, carried on the inside surface of theporous material, are engaged by a transversely extending weld bar toform spot welds to matching, weldable portions on the opposite side ofthe folded material. Where the opposite side comprises a continuousplastic base layer, welding of a portion of each bead is assuredwherever a cross-wise extending linear heated weld bar may engage theplastic bead against the opposed plastic surface. In such cases, littlecare is needed to provide registry.

Referring now to FIG. 30, two preform materials 360, 362 can be joinedto form the wrap-bag shown in FIGS. 31 and 32. Component 360 comprises aloop band 300 in situ laminated to a calendered layer of resin 374. Onlya small margin of the back of the loop material overlaps the calenderedresin 374 band, and the latter extends beyond the loop material, used toform one side of a pouch of width R. The material is cut transversely tomachine direction MD so that the length of web 360, W₁ extends in thecross-machine direction, in relation to the starting material. Web 362is created using the apparatus and process describe in respect of FIGS.14 and 15 and again is cut transversely, in the manner that its lengthW₁ is transverse to machine direction MD. Web 362, of roll-formed resin,has a hook strip 364, and a sheet-form resin flange 366 lying outwardlybeyond the hook strip. The remainder of web 362 is calendered resinsheet 368, if length to form the other side if the pocket and a sectionof the body of the wrapping. The two components 360, 362 are joinedtogether, each component, as joined, having an end overlapped by theother component and an opposite free end, with the hook section 364facing to one side and the loop 300 facing to the other side. Transversewelds 278, 380 are located at respective ends of each of the overlappingcomponent, the amount of overlap thus determining the width R of thepouch 119′″. The resulting wrap-bag has an overall length W₃. FIG. 33shows the joined webs having a bottom weld 382 forming the bottom of thepouch 119′″ and the top of the pouch left open. The pouch defines aninternal compartment 384 for receiving objects. Given a typical calenderstack with width W₁ of about 60.96 cm (24 inches), a pouch width ofabout 10.16 cm (four inches), and welds 380, 378 of width about 1.27 cm(0.5 inch), then W₃ can be 109.22 cm (43 inches) when using the fullwidth capability of the calender stack to form the two components 360,362. Wider machines can form correspondingly longer products.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 34, weld 378 is not created whilea top weld 386 is created, extending in the direction of the length,across the top of the overlap of sheets 374 and 368. Thus, the pouch119′″ is open from the side, side opening 379, and closed from the top.This allows objects to be placed in the pouch from the side. When thewrap-bag is wrapped around an object with loop surface 300 on theinside, the bag strap covers the side opening 379 to prevent the pouchcontents from slipping out.

In some cases, a non-woven material with acrylic binder having anelastomeric characteristic in the cross-machine direction is employed asa stretchy loop material 300. Such a material and other stretchy loopmaterials are described in PCT/US01/08100, published on Sep. 20, 2001,which is hereby incorporated by reference on its entirety. In such awrap-bag the strap portion of the bag is stretchy in the direction ofthe length W₃ (i.e., in the cross-machine direction only during theprior in situ lamination step in which the composite was formed). Theelastic stretchiness achieved in the direction of the length of the wrapenables the user to tighten the wrap and fasten it, to permit freermotion of the wrapped object while ensuring good contact between thewrap-bag and the wrapped object.

In some embodiments, the base fabric of the loop material includesthermoplastic material, such as thermal adhesive fibers or thermoplasticbinder distributed through the thickness of the material. This rendersthe loop material capable of being heat-sealed to itself, whilepreserving its porous character in regions beyond the heat seal. In suchcases, the loop material is not backed with a roll-formed sheet layer,so that the wrapping may be air-permeable.

The wrap-bag 601 of FIGS. 35-37, including strap 609, is formed bymating a running length of hook sheet 606 with a resin film-backed loopmaterial 600 (loops facing up) at a region of overlap with a firstmachine direction weld 602, and then welding a single sheet ofpre-formed biaxially-oriented film 604 at a second machine directionweld 608 at the outer edge of the hook material 606. A pouch 618 is thenformed between the overlying film 604 and the back of the hook material606 by applying welds at two sides, leaving one side 616 open. In thecase shown, side welds 610, 612 are both made in cross machine directionleaving the pouch opening 616 at the interior of the wrapping.

Wrap-bag 601 may manufactured entirely on bag-making equipmentwell-known in the packaging industry. Referring to FIGS. 38-39A, threecontinuous sheets 600, 606, and 604 are brought together joined usingreciprocating heat seal jaws. From left to right are seen a roll ofcontinuous hook material 640, a roll of continuous loop material 641,and a reciprocating weld head 643 for weld 602. Following is a film roll642 for the top layer of film 604 and a secondary weld head 644 for weld608. Weld 608 joins the film 604 to the end of the backside of the hooksheet 606. A cutoff jaw 647 slices individual wrap-bags from thecontinuous web and separates welds 610 and 612 of two individualwrap-bags. The cut through the welds 610 and 612 of the continuous sheetallows weld 612 to stay on the trailing edge of one finished wrap-bag,and the weld 610 stays on the leading edge of another wrap-bag.

FIG. 39 shows the web after creation of the first weld 602. FIG. 39shows the relationship between hook strip 606 and loop strip 600. FIG.39A shows the web after the second weld head 644, illustrating therelationship of the hook and loop, and the addition of film web 604 andweld 602.

Typical biaxially-oriented films for preformed sheet 604 arepolyethylene or polypropylene based, polyethylene being the leastexpensive and most economical. A preferred embodiment is a hook sheet606 made of polyethylene resin, either a linear low standard injectionmold grade or film grade.

The manufacturing process may be performed on a bagging machine with alimited capacity to handle the joined sheets 601 widthwise. Folding thenon-woven loop sheet 600 throughout the process enables the processingof a much longer wrapping on a machine that typically would not handlesuch a long item. Typical bagging machines are about 137.16 cm (54inches) in width, so wrap-bags longer than 101.6 cm (40 inches) mayrequire folding to process. In this case, FIG. 40 shows wrapping 601 asit finishes the manufacturing process of FIG. 38, with its loop section600 folded (as part 648) so that the wrapping can fit widthwise throughthe manufacturing process. This fold is accomplished during the processof FIG. 38 by continuously folding sheet 600 as it is unrolled fromsupply roll 641.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 41 and 44, the main body of awrap-bag 708, as well as the entire pouch and strap 709, are formed ofpreformed loop material, and the hook material is joined in the regionin which the loop material is folded back upon itself. Again, two welds,both transverse to the machine direction, form the sides of the pouchand the pouch opening is inside the wrap-bag. A sheet 702 ofhook-engageable non-woven loop fabric of length L₂, greater than L₁, isfolded along an axis 704 transverse to its length forming sections 700and 706 as illustrated in FIGS. 41 and 43. This fold 720 is done in sucha manner that the folded sheet 703 has hook-engageable loop sides of 700and 706 facing one another. A sheet 718 of hook web of length L₄, aminor (e.g. less than ¼) part of the overall length L₁ of the wrap-bag,is also provided. This hook sheet 718 can be manufactured using theprocess illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15. Hook sheet 718 is joined to theend of sheet 703 at weld 710 with hooks facing the opposite direction ofloops of section 706 as illustrated in FIG. 44. Welds 712 and 714 sealloop section 706 to loop section 700 forming a pouch 724 with opening722. The opening 722 is oriented such that whenever the bag-wrap issecurely wrapped about an object, the contents cannot fall out becausethe opening 722 is against the wrapped object.

A preferred embodiment uses polyethylene resin for the hook material718, but other resins that are compatible with the non-woven loopmaterial to make the pocket and the wrap may also be used. The hookportion 718 may be oriented such that when the weld 710 is created, thehooks melt to form a good attachment without need for film on the backof the non-woven loop strap 706.

Another wrap-bag construction 742 is illustrated in FIGS. 45 and 46. Inthis example the pouch opening is resealable with hook and loop touchfastener strips. One side portion 746 of the pouch is a preformedassembly consisting of a composite loop material strip 750 and apreformed biaxially-oriented film sheet 744 welded together at weld 748.The preformed biaxially-oriented film sheet 744 is joined to section 758at weld 754 to form pouch 756. Hook section 762 functions both as oneside of the pouch closure and for engaging the fibers of the oppositeside of the wrap to secure the wrap-bag in place. The sides of the pouchare formed by welds 764 that are created as the individual wrap-bags aresevered from the web.

Another wrap-bag that includes biaxially-oriented plastic sheet to formthe pouch is illustrated in FIGS. 47-49. The pouch may be formed byfolding a preformed biaxially-oriented plastic sheet 811 or by joiningtwo separate flat sheets at a weld 813. A stretch component 810 on thehook end enables the wrap-bag to be tightly fastened. Non-woven loopsheet 814 is joined to folded film 811 at weld 812. Non-woven loop sheet814 either has a polyethylene backing that is applied prior to thisassembly, or it can be non-woven loop material without polyethylenebacking, depending on the required quality of the weld and the otherrequirements of the application. The amount of hook and loop material inboth of these cases can be adjusted according to cost concerns. Theopening of the pouch can be made sealable by adding a pressure-sensitiveassembly 816 to the film 811 prior to folding the film 811. The pressuresensitive assembly 816 consists of a pressure-sensitive adhesive strip817 with a release tab of 818 and that allows the pouch to be sealedafter the pack is manually inserted into the pouch. After release tab818 is pulled off, pressure sensitive strip 817 sticks to the other sideof folded film 811 and seals the pouch opening shut. This embodiment mayalso be varied by replacing the film 811 with a woven or non-woven knit.This replacement material may be waterproof and is commerciallyavailable as Tyvek®, Typar®, or scrim. The wrap-bag 877 illustrated inFIGS. 50 and 51 can be formed with a pouch 876 directly from thecalender roll process. Since the calender roll process described abovelaminates the non-woven loop material 875 with a plastic backing ofhooks 874, preventing this lamination in a select area creates a pouch876. This is accomplished by printing an overprint varnish 879 on thenon-woven loop material 875 before the calender process which preventslamination in certain areas between the hook backing 874 and thenon-woven loop material 875, to form a three-sided pouch 876 with anopen edge and strap 889.

In one example of usage of bag strap 1200, referring to FIG. 52A,wrap-bag 1200 is wrapped around a chassis 1220 and bag 1006 to holdloose components 1222 associated with the chassis 1220. Parts 1222 caninclude nuts, bolts and brackets, for example. Thus, prior to finalassembly of the components 1222 to chassis 1220, no adhesive is requiredto attach parts 1222 to chassis 1220, so damage to paint on chassis 1220by removing tape is avoided.

The wrap-bag can also provide a reliable means of holding detonationcharges in place against a target structure. Referring to FIG. 52B,wrap-bag 1200 can be applied about a cement or other structural column1240 for positioning a shaped explosive charge 1242 for demolition. Inmilitary applications, cement column 1240 might support a bridge or abuilding to be demolished. In civilian applications, cement column 1240supports a building or other structure to be demolished. In thisexample, explosive charge 1242 has wires 1244 attached to battery 1246for exploding cement column 1240. Wires 1244 are attached to electrodes1248. Electrodes 1248 have sharp pointed ends capable of piercingthrough thin fabric and plastic materials. For this usage, a userinserts explosive charge 1242 inside bag 1006 and then attachesexplosive charge 1242 to cement column 1240 by wrapping bag strap 1009around the cement column. Subsequently, the user can insert electrodes1248 through material 1008 and 1054 into bag 1006. Unlike someadhesives, the hook-and-loop fasteners of the strap can reliably holdthe charge in place, even after several days and extreme changes intemperature.

Other uses of wrap-bag 1200 wrapped about cement column 1240 includeholding, forming and accelerating setting of repair materials orapplying to a post or structural joint or to heat the joint duringcuring.

Another wrap-bag 1300, shown in FIG. 53D, can be readily manufactured ina continuous process using the processes and apparatus disclosed inpending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/808,395, filed Mar. 14,2001. Referring first to FIG. 53A, three separate substrates aresimultaneously fed into a molding nip. The substrates, shown here intransverse cross-section (i.e., looking in the direction of materialflow) include a light knit material 1302, a sheet of film 1304, such asa polyptopylene or polyethylene film, or a paper-backed film, and astrip of non-woven loop material 1306. In the nip, two discrete bands1010 of fastener elements 102 (or fastener element preforms) are moldedin-situ along the film sheet 1304 and the knit material 1302,respectively (FIG. 53B). In the same nip, the film sheet is permanentlybonded to the knit material along a center region 1308, and thenon-woven loop strip 1306 is bonded to the film sheet 1304, such as byheat-staking. Such heat-staking methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.6,202,260, incorporated herein by reference. The bond in center region1308 can be created by welding the film sheet directly to the knitmaterial, or by adding a molten strip of resin over a series ofperforations, for example, in the film sheet 1304, the latter methodbeing particularly useful when the material of sheet 1304 and knit 1302are weld-incompatible, and/or when sheet 1304 is of paper orpaper-backed film. As the non-woven loop strip 1306 is bonded to filmsheet 1304, sufficient heat and pressure may be applied to also bond theback side of sheet 1304, underlying loop strip 1306, to the uppersurface of knit 1302. Alternatively, the back surface of sheet 1304 canbe coated with a weld-inhibiting material, such as an overprint varnish,in the area underlying the loop strip, so as to inhibit bonding of sheet1304 to sheet 1302 as the loop strip is staked, such that the loop-edgeof sheet 1304 remains free as shown. In cases where the loop-edge ofsheet 1304 is left free of knit 1302, the hook-edge of sheet 1304 may,if desired, be bonded to knit 1302 during the formation of hook strips1010, such as by providing a line of perforations through sheet 1304where the inner hook strip will be formed. In any event, at least onehalf of sheet 1304 should remain free of knit 1302 as the product exitsthe molding nip.

After exiting the nip, the fastener elements (if preforms) may be headedto form loop-engageable heads, such as by passing them under a formingroller. The hook-half of sheet 1304 is then folded over at center region1308 to engage the inner hook band 1010 with the non-woven loop strip1306, to form the continuous preform from which the bag bodies will beformed. It should be noted that sheet 1304 may be folded to create apleat (not shown) adjacent bonded region 1308 to form bag bodies withexpandable gussets opposite their openings, if desired.

The continuous sheet product (now as shown in FIG. 53C) is then cuttransversely to form individual wrap-bags 1300, as shown in FIG. 53D,with sheet 1304 forming the opposing sides of a reclosable bag 1310secured at its bottom edge to a strap 1312 formed by knit 1302. Thetransverse cuts can be performed so as to seal the lateral edges of thebag, and to secure the lateral bag edges to the edges of the strap, ifdesired. Alternatively, the transverse cutting may simply cut sheet 1304to form free edges that are later sealed together as separated from theknit substrate of the strap, such that the bag body is completely freefrom the strap except along its lower edge, as shown.

The process described above may be readily modified. For example, onemay start with either sheets 1304 and 1302, or sheets 1304 and 1306,pre-joined before entering the nip. The bands 1010 of fastener elementsmay be preformed and bonded to the substrates by welding or adhesives,rather than bonded during molding. Knit 1302 may be replaced with asheet of paper, film or other flexible sheet substance, to which a fieldof loop material is bonded to a side opposite the fastener elements.

A number of embodiments of the invention have been described.Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Inaddition, various other uses of wrap-bags constructed according to theabove principles will be evident to those of ordinary skill. Suchwrap-bags can be specifically fashioned to secure samples and specimensunder difficult working conditions, such as in space or underwater, forexample. Bag-wraps can be fashioned for wrapping about a body part, suchas to form a pocket or concealed pouch, for carrying small or paperitems, such as fishing licenses, money or passports. The bag may also beused to strap monitors to a patient, such as a fetal monitor duringdelivery, or a heart rate monitor under pressure against the skin. Manyother uses will be apparent.

1. A bag comprising a bag body defining therein a compartment accessiblethrough an opening at one end of the bag body; and secured to the bagbody along one edge thereof and extending therefrom to a free distalend, a flexible strap of width sufficient to span at least a majority ofthe compartment, the strap carrying an array of fastener elements on anopposite side thereof, each fastener element having a stem extendingintegrally from a band of resin extending across the strap; the strapbeing of sufficient length to wrap about an object, with the strapoverlapping the bag body to engage exposed fibers of the bag with thefastener elements, to secure the bag to the object.
 2. The bag of claim1 wherein the band of resin encapsulates surface features of the strapto form an inseparable laminate.
 3. The bag of claim 1 wherein the bandof resin is an integral region of the strap, the strap being a unitarysheet of the resin and extending beyond the array of fastener elements.4. The bag of claim 1 wherein the strap extends beyond the edge of thebag body a distance greater than about twice a width of the bag bodymeasured from the same edge in opposite direction.
 5. The bag of claim 1wherein the strap consists essentially of a sheet of loop material withthe band of resin extending thereacross.
 6. The bag of claim 1 whereinthe bag body is secured to the strap along multiple edges of the bagbody.
 7. The bag of claim 1 wherein the strap is an integral extensionof one side of the bag body.
 8. The bag of claim 1 wherein the bag bodyincludes a releasable closure extending along the opening.
 9. The bag ofclaim 8 wherein the closure comprises a rib-and-groove closure.
 10. Thebag of claim 8 wherein the closure comprises a touch fastener closure.11. The bag of claim 1 wherein the opening faces the strap.
 12. The bagof claim 1 wherein the opening extends along one side edge of the strap.13. The bag of claim 1 wherein the strap is resiliently stretchable in alongitudinal sense.
 14. The bag of claim 1 wherein the fastener elementsare disposed in a discrete band adjacent the free end of the strap. 15.The bag of claim 14 wherein the discrete band is continuous and extendsacross the width of the strap.
 16. The bag of claim 14 wherein the strapincludes a graspable, non-fastening region at its free end, beyond theband of fastener elements.
 17. The bag of claim 1 wherein thecompartment is defined fully within the width of the strap, such thatthe strap envelops the compartment when overlapped across the bag body.18. A method of releasably securing one or more relatively smallcomponents to a relatively larger object, the method comprising placingthe components in the compartment of a wrap-bag according to claim 1;and wrapping the wrap-bag about the object in overlapping manner,releasably securing the fastener elements of the wrap-bag to the fibersof the wrap-bag, to hold the wrap-bag to the object.
 19. The method ofclaim 18 wherein the relatively large object is a chassis, and thecomponents are to be later assembled to the chassis.
 20. The method ofclaim 18 wherein the relatively large object is to be detonated, and thecomponents comprise one or more explosive charges. 21-40. (canceled)